Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-07-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent. c


The record of one hundred degrees in
| the shade on Saturday at the U. S. sig
nal office is the highest ever recorded
| there. /" In the shade" at the signal
office means that the thermometer is
hung in sort OF box on the outside of
the building closed in by shutters on
all four sides. This gives both shade
and ventilation, while, on the melting
asphalt of the pavement below, neither
shade nor ventilation were to be found,
but temperature of 106 degrees and
| 1OS under cover. All work continued
however, both among the inside and
outside forces of the government in
| spite of the heat of the torrid zone,
without it's merciful breeZes,
The immense new vault for silver at
the treasury is being rapidly pushed
forward, and the western front Of the
| state. war and navy department ap-
proaches completion. Work on the
portico and entrance, and the grading
of the sidewalk is daily progressing.
Soon the western wing of this hand
some building, which is an enormous
parallelegram of grey granite, will
present the same appearance as the
eastern wing. The latter looks out up
on the presidents house and gardens,
and is occupied by the navy depart
ment. The south wing is the state de-
| partment, while the north and west
wings belong to the war department.
1t is expected that eventually the
whole building will be given over to
the business OF the war department,
and others erected for the navy and
state. When the inside work on the
| western wing is finished one Of the
handsomest structures in the world
will be completed. A structure pres
enting but one defect to the observer.
1t has too many windows. They are
mot far enough apart and give to the
building the appearance OF huge
conservatory. This defect is not noti-
ceable, however, from a distance.
A complaint comes from the medical
corpse of the navy through Surgeon
| General Gunnell, of the difficulty in
filling the continually increasing
vacancies, caused by death, resigna-
tions and retirements. in the list of
surgeons in, our navy. At present
there are fourteen vacancies, in the
medical corps and DR.. Gunnell fears
there will be many more if the actual
hardships imposed upon young sur
gons, who enter the navy, are not re-
moved. Eligible young physicians will
not enter the navy on hearing of the
difficulties and disadvantages, and Of
the unfairness on board ship, and in
reference to promotions, that Junior
surgeons have to contend with. The
examinations are as severe and the re-
| quirements as great as those for the
medical corps of the army, while the
advantages OF the army are so much
greater, that last year four young sur
geohs of the navy resigned to take posi-
tions in the army. Surgeon General
Gunnell hopes through the statement
of these facts and his recommendations
in his annual report to remedy these
evils and to bring the naval medical
corps up to the same standing as that
of the army. 1t he can do this, the
vacancies in his corps will not long go
begging as they nov do.
The recent forgeries of Harvey, late
of the treasury department. and the
defalcation of Mr.. Bacon, disbursing
clerk of the patent Office, lately deceased
with the memory of other irregulari-
ties committed by financial agents OF
the government have caused the sec
retary of the treasury to order an in
| vestigation of the different disbursing
officers of the several departments
On Saturday, the Investigators with Il
corps of expert accountants, began
their examination with the interior de-
partment. The largest sum paid out
by the government is paid through this
Office. Cash payments amounting to
nearly S6,OO0,0OO, annually pass through
the hands Of Mr.. Ewars, the disburs-
ing clerk. The examination committee
arrived at the interior department
early on Saturday morning, and though
unexpected were heartily welcomed by
the disbursing officer and his assistants.
The books of the Office were turned
over to the examiners, and they had so
easy a task that by three o'clock, they
4 had examined all the books counted all
cash, and had satisfied themselves that
every thing was straight in that branch
of the government.
That concluded the investigating
work for the day. The other officers
will be duly examined in turn. So
much stress is laid upon every dishon-
est act, and rascals are given so much
prominence through their misdeeds
I that we are apt to think that only
scamps succeed and to forget that hon
esty not only succeeds oftenest, but it is
oftenest to be met with. The examine
tion of the treasury officials will prove
that the rogues are the exception and
honest men the rule, among govern
ment employees as it is the rule every
| where.
4 oyr Vt,,.t